Growing Pains
by RadicalCat
Summary: Ezra has been alone for a long time, and he knows what he's doing. Trouble finds him, but he can get himself out of it. Probably.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi everyone. I'm pretty awful, because I haven't event touched my ROTG fics and now Star Wars Rebels has completely consumed my life.  
If anyone has any forums or suggestions for getting over new chapter block, I would really appreciate it. Or if anyone would like to do any joint writing work I would be open to that too!  
This story is actually finished in draft and the rest of the chapters just need to be spell checked.  
Hope you enjoy!

** Growing Pains**

* * *

It was an easy mission.

Minimal Storm Trooper presence; grab and fly. It was an empire loyalist laboratory on the outer rim planet of Nyrue.

"The planet has naturally occurring noxious properties, that's why the Empire has settled their newest biochemical labs smack in the center of this point here." Sabine tapped her index finger on a dark patch of the holo planets display. The model of the planet pulsed where it was touched and a white light appeared.

"Have we got enough hazed equipment to go around for a job like this?" Kanan asked the mandalorian .

Sabine sat back in her seat and looked impressed. "That's the thing, Nyrue's toxic properties are located only in the soil. The air is oxygen rich and even the water is drinkable for carbon based forms. Though its incredibly rich in iron. I wouldn't recommend it."

"How much cargo?" Zeb asked, directing his question to Hera.

"Fulcrum needs several sets of samples but its no more then a crates worth."

Kanan nodded approvingly, pinching his chin in thought.  
"Great. Then the only question is how soon we start."

Erza _had_ been off world Lothal before, but only to other manned planets where the Empire's reach was average at worst. He'd never been somewhere so foreign that he needed a breathing tube to survive. He was street smart, not alien jungle smart. To Ezra, the planet map showed it to be round and dotted with hills and valleys. It looked so strange to see an entire planet mapped without a straight formed line in sight.

He interrupted his own thoughts when he heard himself say, "Wait, so we're the carbon type right?"

The table was silent and all four sets of eyes and an octoscope were pointed in his direction. Apparently, that'd been the wrong question. Chopper made a sound that was two lowering tones, Ezra scowled at the astromech, clearly having heard "dum-dum".

"You've been out the outer rim before right?" Sabine asked hesitantly.

Ezra shrugged. "Well yeah. Of course." _just not to unmanned planets_, he added mentally.

Zeb shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Look kid, don't eat the ground and you'll be fine."

"I wasn't planning too!"

"Enough, we have a job to do." Kanan cut in shortly, signalling that the fight should end now before it could start. Sabien cut the holograms program, and the schematics faded out.

Hera stood,"I'm going to go set the coordinates, Sabine will prep the transport. You boys can prep the phantom. And Ezra?"

"What?"

"Yes, we are all the carbon type." She told him gently, making it clear she wasn't making fun.

He folded his arms and pulled away from the table. "I was just double checking. I'm not that thick."

Zeb followed him through to the cargo hold, ruffing the boys hair up with a playful knock. "Are you sure the force can get through this?"

* * *

A hyper space jump later, the crew was boarding the Phantom. The four of them strapped themselves in while Kanan ignited the thrust and departured from the Ghost's bay.

"Good luck," Hera wished them.

It was a short flight, but probably one of the coolest sights of Ezra's short life.

They came up on Nyrue slowly. Sabien hacked the Phantoms signature and the security barrier around the planet granted the ship access, under the guise it was the usual security change over.

"Hey, Ezra." Kanan inclined over his shoulder towards the boy, "Come up here for a minute."

Ezra obediently climbed out of his seat and came up on Kanan's left. "What is it?"

"Take a look."

Kanan leveled out the Phantoms nose and the plant of Nyrue came into sight from underneath.

The atmosphere was a deep soulful blue, and the planet's surface glowed in the darkness surrounding it. The plant surface was a deep indigo swirl dotted with brilliant blue, violet and green.

Ezra leaned over the Jedi's shoulder and gaped. "Whoa. I've never seen a planet that didn't have the Empire crawling all over it."

"Thought you'd like it." Kanan said proudly. They exchanged a smile.

They landed on the surface without issue. Before Kanan released the door he looked back at Ezra and put on a stern face. "Stick close to me and we wont have any problems." Ezra nodded eagerly and casually saluted his master.

"Sir- yes, Sir."

The hatch opened and they went to work.

The mission went smoothly until they reached the extraction.

Sabine located the labs, and Zeb led the way through the foreign jungle with his BO-rifel. The planet surface was mostly covered with thick swampy vines that formed large mangroves, and Zeb sought them the quickest path through the terrain. The team skirted the labs, a white two story block supported on stilts that were cut into the root system. The empire touch seemed more invasive then ever before here on the untouched surface.  
Ezra scowled at the deep holes cut into the earth, then located the right air duct and took out his tools.

He made his way through the building via the venting systems and after a careful surveillance of the second floor lab, he dropped quietly down and deactivated the security system at the door.

The skeleton pass code Fulcrum had supplied Hera with: worked, and Kanan appeared in the door followed by the team.

Sabine located the samples and after a quick heist, the cargo was ready for transport.

They maneuvered the hallways, avoiding the single trooper and several oblivious lab techs with ease.  
And then they were out.

The upped the anti gravity on the transport crate and escorted the cargo nearly all the way back to the Phantom. They were in sight of the ship when Ezra felt the ripple of awareness crawl up his spine.

Kanan shouted "Down!" but Ezra was already shoving the cargo cart away with a push from the force. The team scattered and TIE fighter rays hit the spot the crate had stood a second before.

Zeb was on his feet and firing back from the top of a tree, while Kanan had rolled neatly to shelter of a mangrove and was return firing precisely while the tie fighter showered the area with energy shots.

"Get the cargo onto the ship! We'll cover you." Kanan ordered between shots. Ezra and Sabine quickly regrouped and together they collected the crate and pushed it towards the ship.

Sabine pulled out her com as they ran, "Specter 5 to Specter 2. We have company. We'll be coming in hot."

The com crackled to life as they reached the phantom's hatch.  
"Rodger that Specter 5. I'm dropping in for a fly by."

Ezra turned and watched from the hatch doors, hand on the release, ready to bring the door down the moment the two were aboard. Sabine rapidly inputting coordinates at the control panel.

Kanan and Zeb were slowly tracking backwards towards the ship. One of Kanan's shots hit a weak spot in the wing fold and the TIE Fighter began to smoke, and rapidly descended towards them, but not on top of them.

It collided with the earth and exploded is the usual satisfying way.

Ezra pulled in a breath too 'woop' in triumph when the cold ringing wriggled through his mind again.

He was moving before he knew why exactly, just that he needed too. He barreled into Kanan's chest and threw them both into the splintery mangrove floor, narrowly avoiding the red lasers that burned holes in the roots where Kanan had stood.  
They rolled over the hard trees and Ezra noted a sharp pain in his wrist before they came to a sudden stop with his back to a tree.

The force of the fall drove the breath out of their lungs. And then suddenly Zeb had them both on their feet. The Lasat steered Ezra back towards the ship while Kanan, un-fazed, shot at the backup fighter. It circled up and back again, skimming deep along the ground towards the Phantom.

And then the sky roared and the Ghost burst through the cloud level, aiming straight and shot down the fighter in two shots. It sailed shakily, and crashed into the tree line in the distance. Leaving a blackened trail in the sky.

Kanan slipped into the pilot seat as Sabine closed the hatch behind Ezra and Zeb. The Jedi fired up the engine,"Thanks Specter 2. We're on our way out."

Ezra had just enough time to buckle his seat before the Phantom raced up into the atmosphere.

* * *

"It was an updated security pattern." Sabine told the crew. "We went in with the outdated schedule. We were right in the new flight path. Otherwise we'd have gotten out clean."

They'd arrived in one piece and without a single sample broken- which was apparently a bigger deal then Ezra had realized. If he'd known how the samples could have reacted if exposed to un filtered oxygen- he might not have pushed them so carelessly out of the way.  
Hera had gone to update Fulcrum on the mission before jumping into hyper space.  
Zeb and Sabine were charged with storing the samples.

In a moment between the safety of the ghosts doors closing behind them and the hyper jump, Kanan clapped a hand on Ezra's shoulder.

The boy jumped, but Kanan pulled him around to face him and smiled.

"Nice moves out there, Kid. Real Jedi stuff, Padawan." And in a moment of affection and pride, he pulled the boy closer and bumped his forehead agaisnt Ezra's.

The words and gesture put a hot flush of pride in Ezra's cheeks and he grinned bashfully. "What can I say? I have a good Master."

Kanan chucked and pushed the boy away with a smile. "Go help Chopper prep the Phantom. We're eating on world tonight."

"Really?" Ezra asked, not hiding his excitement.

"Really." The Jedi assured him, climbing the ladder to the cockpit. "We've earned it today."

Ezra was pretty sure he heard a '_you_' in that '_we_'.

Ezra smiled and let the pride wash through him. Kanan was not the easiest too please. But sometimes Ezra got it right.

As the ship jumped into hyper drive, Ezra lost his balance and threw his hand out to grab the ladder rail. A sharp burning sensation filled his wrist. Ezra sucked in a breath between his teeth in pain and surprise, catching his fall on his knees.

The ship eased into hyper space and he felt the pressure in the cabin stabilize.

Ezra un-curled arm from his chest and felt about his wrist, looking for the cause of pain. There was a thin hole in his gloves and he pulled it off to see underneath.

Just below the heel of his right palm was a dark long splinter, pierced deep into the flesh of his hand. Only the very tip was visible just under the surface of the skin, which was pink and sore to the touch.

Ezra cursed. "Aww Hutt Slime."

* * *

This is my first whole Star Wars Fic, I've never been a Fan until the Rebels Series came out and now I'm trying to catch up on all the terminology and rules of the universe. If I got anything Wrong or any mistakes brought you out of the story, please let me know.  
**R&amp;R** for good Karma


	2. Chapter 2

I tried to do my homework on the food and drinks terminology used here. Let me know if something doesn't work for you.

**Growing Pains**

* * *

They celebrated their success in the central bar in Lothal.

The ate and drank and got loud enough to disturb the game of holochess in the corner. Zeb and Kanan arm wrestled over an argument about what the proper way to make a Cometduster was. Chopper had won the argument by performing the task; with directions that neither warrior had been arguing. Hera managed to eat more then her share of cracknuts, and Sabine had doodled on her napkin and passed it across the table to Ezra during dinner.  
On it was a rough cartoon sketch of Ezra punching a storm trooper up from under the chin and causing his helmet to fly off. Underneath she had scrawled '_Don't lose your head!_' and circled the troopers unprotected crown with little yellow stars.

Ezra had laughed until he almost cried and afterwards his gut ached in satisfaction. After a proud circulation of the table, he was careful no one saw him pocket the little sketch.

No one had noticed that he was avoiding using his right hand yet. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have to embarrass himself with the story.

Ezra had done his best to tweeze the splinter out, but he only succeeded is breaking a small sliver off the end. Now it was buried well into his flesh and the skin was too raw and swollen to keep digging for the wood.

He considered using the force to wiggle it free, but one attempt caused sharp pains shooting up his arm which flared and ached for several minutes after. He couldn't hold on to his concentration.

He gave up on freeing it manually and wrapped a bandage around the wound and replaced his glove, knowing the splinter would eventually exit the way it came. He was a smart kid, and he'd been in charge of his own doctoring for while now. He hardly needed help with a _splinter_.

They stumbled home to the Ghost together. Kanan and Hera wordlessly parted from the group and disappeared into their own quarters. Sabine turned to Ezra and gave him a gentle punch on the arm, the left one thankfully, and winked.  
"See you tomorrow boys."

Ezra fell into his bed in a contented heap, belly full and warm and sore from laughing.  
He listened to Zeb mutter too himself as he settled in his own bunk, no doubt starting to regret the last few Cometdusters, and finally started to snore.

His wrist had begun a slow burn, but he pushed it out of his mind as he drifted into sleep. He dreamed of wide fields of long grass, warm sunlight and someone laughing in the distance.

* * *

Four days past on board the Ghost.

Ezra spent a lot of time tinkering with the engine room and tightening up the quality of the airduction system. He surprised Kanan when requesting additional meditation and balance instead of more form training with his saber.  
The Jedi put his students new discipline down to his teachings sinking in. Hera rolled her eyes at this theory, but agreed that the boys attention span had grown in recent days.

"Whats gotten into you?" Zeb demanded on the second day when Ezra announced the light filaments in the kitchen wouldn't flicker anymore because he'd finally found the stripped wire in the wall panel. The Lasat narrowed an eye at the boy but smiled a little to show he was joking. "You try'n to sweet us up or just blind side us with a prank?"

"Just pullin my weight," Ezra flippantly replied and prodded a finger into the Lasat's side. "Something you wouldn't know about."

He didn't chase the boy for as long as usual, Ezra barely made it out the kitchen door. Zeb put to down to Ezra wanting to get back to his breakfast and only used half the force he'd planed too when he trapped him in a headlock and dug his knuckles into the boys skull.

They pulled in for supplies on the third day and when Zeb and Ezra returned, Sabine noted Ezra's new gloves.

"They're a size too big on you." She giggled, but he only grinned back.

"Don't worry, I'll grow into them. They were all I could find anyway, I needed some serious grip for the bolts in the life support system." They were basic padded engineers gloves with a rubbery coating for extra grip. "I'm sick of wrenches flying outta my hands." He waved a hand at his temple indicating the speed of the projectiles. "I can't force catch everything."

"Well now's the perfect time to practice." Ezra turned and blinked at Kanan, who tossed Ezra his blaster/saber combo, which Ezra caught with surprise.  
The Jedi was confused to see dread in Ezra's expression as he looked down at the weapon in his hands. But it cleared in a moment and the teen smiled.  
"Ok, gimme five to sort the stock and I'll met you up there."

Kanan tried not to give himself _too_ many props for Ezra's sudden taste for responsibility.

* * *

The Ghost hummed just above the cloud line.  
Zeb and Chopper took great joy in pelting a blind-folded Ezra with empty protein cans.

Ezra had started strong, but his aim and focus quickly dimmed and Kanan noticed sweat beading on the teens forehead and his breathing laboring between his swings.

He seemed to having trouble staying focused and kept clenching his shoulders and readjusting his grip on the saber.  
A can hit him in the elbow and he hissed a short breath of pain.

Kanan frowned. "Ok, That's enough for today." Perhaps he was just tired.

"He barely got any of them!" Zeb accused.

Ezra withdrew his lightsaber and pulled the blind fold off with the same hand. He looked annoyed, but more with himself then Kanan. "Yeah. We just got started."  
Chopper made a noise in agreement and swung the can in his clawgrip. Ezra ducked before it could hit him square in the face, and threw a scowl at the robot, who chirped and whirled in amusement.

Kanan frowned. "You're tired. I can see it, and I know you know it. Being wise is knowing when to retreat and recuperate."

Ezra's mood immediately soured.

"If teaching me is so taxing, I have other stuff I could be doing!" He dropped the blindfold and stormed to the drop chute and disappeared before anyone could reply.

Kanan exchanged a look with Zeb, who looked surprised but unhappy with the sour turn of events.

"Why're you teaching him again?" Zeb asked matter-of-factly.

Kanan frowned deeply at the Lasat, then put a finger to his temples and squeezed.  
"Because I like to make things difficult for myself."  
Chopper pinged and beeped along in a tone that suggested Kanan had stated the obvious.

* * *

Ezra did his best to control his breathing as he shut the door to he and Zeb's room. He climbed to his bunk, cradling his arm and gingerly pulled at the tips of the glove, which slolwy slid over her hand inch by inch. His old ones had become too tight and the pressure on his sore hand had become unbearable. He'd bought these one for the extra space, even if the thick rubber coating made his hands hot and clammy.

His right hand was not healing.

It was starting to smell and possible fester. The heel of his swollen hand was purple with dark red streaks that spread through his palm and along the paler flesh of his arm. His arm was a little jaundiced, his fingers were white and pinched from lack of circulation.

He hadn't meant to snap at Kanan or lose his temper. It was just every time he tried to concentrate, too focus his mind on anything inwards, his arm began to hum with pain and the sound reverberated in his head and gave him an awful migraine. He was just in pain, but the guilt gnawed at an uncomfortable hole in his gut.

Ezra had done everything right. He'd kept the wound clean, and covered. He'd done his best to avoid using the hand as much as he could without the crew asking questions. It should have started to heal by now.  
He'd had splinter's before- he was a street urchin- why should this be be so difficult?

The whole situation had snowballed now, and he didn't know how to make it stop.

It was too late to ask for help now. It would just make him look like an idiot. All this, over a s_plinter_.

Two lowering tones rang out in his head. "_dumb dumb_"...

Ezra tentatively put pressure on the heel of his hand, it stung and he bit his tongue to avoid making any sounds. He couldn't even see the splinter anymore under the infected skin. He knew it needed to be cut out.

The piece was too deep now in the wound, If Ezra didn't know better he would have thought it had wormed it way deeper. He had nightmares of the thing taking root in his arm and crawling through his chest. Wrapping dark knots around his heart...  
Splinters didn't do that and he was just being irrational.

He felt nauseated between the pain and the smell. He'd had to skip his last few meals, unable to find the appetite to stomach them once, let alone risk them coming back up. Ezra hadn't gone this long without food for a while now and his stomach protested with a low sore grumble and then resettled. The pounding in his head began to increase. Why was so hot in here?

Ezra knew had to go apologize to Kanan, and Zeb. Maybe even Chopper. He needed to show Kanan his hand and explain what had happened. He should go do it now and get it over and done with. He knew Kanan would be mad he hadn't been honest in the first place, but he would probably save the lecture till Ezra was feeling better. Maybe he wouldn't tell the others if Ezra asked him not too.

But his eyes were heavy, his head ached, and he decided would do just that after a short lie down. Five minutes of rest and then he would face the music.

Ezra had half a mind to pull the glove back on without making much noise. A sudden chill racked his body and he managed to pull the blankets over his shoulders before falling out of waking.

* * *

R&amp;R for Good Karma


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter feels OoC but I may work on it later. Can anyone tell me how do you go about finding a beta?  
Let me know what you think!

**Growing Pains**

* * *

Ezra woke on fire and clammy with sweat. He couldn't breath. Something was wrong but his mind wasn't clear enough figure out what.

Only half awake, he managed to pull off the top half of his suit, wincing as he withdrew his arm out of the heavy jacket. He dropped it, letting it hang off his waist. The white long sleeved shirt underneath was soaked but chilled against his skin as the air cooled.

There was something he was supposed to do...

His head swam, and his arm pounded in time with his head. His mouth was dry and he wanted water.

Climbing off the top bunk, he barely managed to stay on his feet.

There was a loud ringing in his head. Something was wrong. His hand was on fire and he couldn't let go of the flames. He shoved his throbbing hand under his armpit and squeezed it tight against his chest. The pain was so vivid it almost knocked his knees out, but the pounding lessened after a moment.

Ezra wanted to find water. He could shove his hand and his head in it, drink it in, and everything would be OK.

He fumbled with the button panel squeezing his eyes shut in concentration, he managed to find the right keys. The door slid open, and the sudden onset of light and sound disoriented him. The world warped for just a moment.

But the air was cooler out here in the hallway, and he breathed through the vision problems. He fumbled along the wall, concentrating on staying on his feet.

He could hear voices, but they were warped. He couldn't make out what they were saying. They faded in an out of hearing and Ezra heard ringing in his ears.

He came to the corner and pinched the door frame with his free hand, helping him make the turn. He blinked blearily at the colours and people- It was his team. Some part of his brain knew that.  
Weren't they hot? Why was it hotter then the Lothral sun in here?

But the fire. It was everywhere. He saw blurs of orange and yellow flicking all over his vision. No. That was just the lights, wasn't it? They were very bright.

Ezra stared at the five, wondering why they didn't move or run from the heat. He squeezed his hand tight into a fist under his arm. He had to warn them. He had to find water.

Something slippery moved in his gut and up his throat. He felt liquid heat fill his mouth and choked on the bile. He managed to hack it out onto his shoes.

Ezra wrinkled his nose and lifted his head. He wanted to say something that wouldn't lighten the mood, like "Blast it- I just cleaned those". Something that would make them laugh or tell them he was OK.

But when he opened his mouth and looked up, he found he was breathless and he felt his knees give out.

Someone was holding him.

Ezra knew this feeling of weightlessness. This was Kanan and his use of the force. Kanan had caught him and lowed him gently to the cold floor. Kanan... he had to tell him something...

The metal floor was ice against his cheeks and he sighed in relief from the heat. His arm twitched and pain shot through his chest. Ezra folded in on himself on instinct, trying to protect the wounded area.

He heard voices and now he felt hands- but everything was so far away. Someone turned his face up to the light. The orange blurs began to swim in his vision.

Then he heard someone clearly say 'medics'.

The word put the fear in him, and his mind cleared for long enough that he sat bolt up, and pulled, who he thought was, Kanan close.

He told him in no uncertain terms would medics be involved. The Empire had butchered the stand of heath care on Lothal, and they had Ezra on file. It would be a matter of moments before the system also found Ezra in the Imps system under then name Den Morgan from his time at the academy.

From there it would be a short trip to the prison camps and torture bots and it would mean the end of the Ghost Crew. Ezra had no question while the rest of the crew would be dispatched, but the inquisitor would want to have him put aside for later. Kanan would be killed.

Ezra would die before any of that.

Ezra knew that's what he'd tried to say. It had made perfect sense in his head.  
But it came out in a babbling mess and all he actually heard himself weakly say was, "No Meds... Empire system-Morgan...torture bots! the Inquisitor..."

His mouth wouldn't move. He couldn't make the right words come out. He needed them to understand. "Kanan..."

_He couldn't let them have Kanan._

But awareness started to leave him. He saw orange light grow bright and ran together until it was too bright to see. The fire returned and he tried not to scream as it ate up his arm and into his chest.

He imagined a hand, made of twisted dark wood sliding through his chest and wrapping its long fingers around his heart and squeezing-  
Was this what it was like to fall to the darkside? To be consumed from the inside out?

There was pain he'd never known before opening in his hand. Were they cutting it off? Is that what was happening?

It didn't matter. It would all be ashes soon anyway. There was only darkness now, and Ezra was drowning.

And then he wasn't.

He felt something cold and soft pulling at his mind- and he let it. It pulled him away from the fire and the darkness and Ezra saw the orange and bloody scene fall away from him.

The world got quiet and calm. Ezra wondered if he was dead, but something told him he shouldn't be scared.

_ Rest and believe in the force_.

Kanan?

Ezra wanted to reach out to his Master, to say he was sorry for being so weak and childish. He wanted to tell him the truth.  
But Ezra never had the chance before he fell into the black.

* * *

It had been quiet. And Kanan had been unnerved all day.

"Something is wrong." he told Hera for the eighth time.

The woman shot him a look over their morning meals. "Let him sleep Kanan. Maybe he's was just having a bad day?"

Kanan had descended back inside the Ghost after their attempted training, mental preparing for a verbal battle with the boy. He'd drawn himself up in the doorway, taking in a deep breath and preparing the stern jaw line he favored when lecturing his Padawan.

The door raised and he broke into verbal stride. "Ezra, you can't-"  
Ezra wasn't seated on his bunkside with a sour look on his face, a wall of sulky silence like Kanan had expected. Instead, he was curled into the wall on his bunk, breathing evenly and clutching his blankets.

Kanan visibly deflated at the sight, his carefully worded speech erased from his mind.  
The boy was clearly exhausted.

Ezra flinched in his sleep and muttered incoherently into his chest. Kanan smiled waspishly, and a moment of softness, he pulled the boys blankets up and tucked them under his shoulders.

As he drew in close, he caught a whiff of the Ezra's odor and backed away with a wince. He needed to have a serious talk about to the boy about his hygiene. Streetrat or not, this was a close quarters ship.

Kanan took a moment in the doorway to watch his Padawan. Something felt... _off._ But he couldn't pin it down.

He could hear Chopper and Zeb disagreeing, loudly, in the common room. Ezra groaned and rolled over, disturbed by the noise.

Kanan stepped away and keyed the door lock. Locking the noise away from his apprentice and his sleep.  
He could talk to the boy later, after he'd rested and was more himself.

The day ended, according to their body clocks and night had came. And Ezra had not stirred.

A knot of worry had seeded in Kanan's gut, and now it had blossomed into anxiety.  
It felt like there was more to this then hormones and lack of sleep.

Kanan had meditated all night, waiting to feel his Padawan wake through the force. But the boy had slept on without interruption through the night and now continued through the morning. He was usually well up by now.

Sabine and Zeb ate their own meals quietly while Hera and Kanan bickered over the table.

"He's been out for fourteen hours now. Im going to wake him."  
Kanan moved to get out of his seat. Hera squeezed his knee, hard, and he sat down again.

"Maybe he's sick." Hera countered. "In which case, waking him wont help."

"He missed both meals yesterday," Sabine added in a matter of fact voice, unwilling to be drawn into an argument. "It is unlike him to miss out on food."

Hera frowned at this and Kanan exchanged a look with her.

"He slept well enough through the night- the kids fine." Zeb shot back with a sniff.

Hera met Kanan's eyes and the tone of her expression had changed now. Maybe something _was_ wrong. Enough was enough, Kanan stood.

"I'll go wake him."

"No need." Zeb countered and indicated the hallways door. Kanan spun to see Ezra- if this haggard boy _was_ Ezra- leaning heavily on the door. His right arm was tucked under his arm and Kanan was surprised to see the boy had stripped of the top of his beloved flight suit. Something was wrong.

"Ezra- whats wrong?" he demanded. He wasn't going to put up with the boy misdirection right now.

Ezra looked confused and squinted hard at the crew. "The fire." he said, his voice was dry and lacked any of his usual attitude. "Aren't you hot?" he demanded, slightly louder. "There's a fire."

"Where? Where is the fire?" Hera demanded, standing and moving to get closer. Fire was no laughing matter on a spacecraft.

But Ezra didn't seem to hear her. He just stood, staring at them with a look of confusion on his face. His arm twitched, and suddenly he convulsed. He doubled down and threw up directly onto his own boots. The bile was a wretched scent and thick with mucus.

The boy looked up, startled, a little bile on his chin and his eyes flashes awareness for half a second He looked like he was going to cock an eyebrow and say something smart.  
Then his knees buckled. Kanan saw the boy's grip slacken on the door frame and threw out a hand. He sought Ezra through the force and stopped his decent, then gently lowered the boy to the floor.

Hera was already on her knee, folding the boy into her arms- but he twisted, pressing his cheek into the floor. He groned, trying to pull his knees up to his chest.

"Ezra! Ezra answer me." Hera called, trying to pull the boys face of the floor so she could see his eyes. They were unfocused and he squinted up into her face, his expression absent.

Kanan was already at the boys side, padding the boy down for some sort or explanation. He tried to unhinge the arm tucked under his chest, but the boy wouldn't give.

"Ezra what happened?" Kanan demanded, tilting Ezra's face up. The boy was unresponsive and Kanan saw the jaundiced tone that was showing through his cheeks now. His breathing was ragged and uneven. Sweat made him clammy to touch.  
He looked to Hera, and in a tone that left no room for argument he said: "Set course for Lothal. He needs a medic and now."

Hera nodded and moved to pull away- but she was surprised by Ezra sitting bolt up in her lap and reaching out, gripped Kanan by the bandolier.

"No meds!" He cried, clear as day and then began to mutter unintelligibly. His voice dropping clear words here and there."... Empire system-Morgan..." he said, and Kanan heard warning in the boys fevered tone. Ezra's head lolled against his chest as he whispered, "..the Inquisitor..." and fell back against Hera once more, eyes unfocused. "Kanan..."

Kanan felt fury rise through him at the words and crushed it down immediately when Ezra added his name in a raspy voice. The boy began to groan sickly, clutching meekly at his chest and shoulder.

"Whats he saying?" Sabine demanded, crouched at Hera's side with an hands out reached like she wnated to help; but didn't know how.

"He said we can't take him to a doctor because they'll find him on the system. He knows the inquisitor will find us." Kanan answered in a calm tone, but his eyes suggested rage. He began pulling the boy's shirt up over his head, looking for the cause of the pain. He stopped when he saw yellowed bruising spreading out from his right shoulder.

"Well he's not wrong." Zeb added in a frantic voice, hovering at the kids feet. "What'd we do?!"

Kanan pushed the sleeve up on the boys arm and rage boiled inside him, this time with a steak of fear. The skin was bruised yellow with mottled purple patches. The boys veins stood out, bright and blue and bloody.

"We're gonna take him to a medic." Kanan said, and there was no argument from anyone.

Hera's eyes widened at the sight of Ezra's arm, but she wasted no time asking questions. She pulled away and headed for the cockpit.

Sabine took her place and lay Ezra's head in her lap.

"Whats wrong with him?" Zeb demanded angrily, "He wasn't like this yesterday!"

"He's been avoiding us by working in the mech systems," Sabine realized out loud. "So we wouldn't know he was sick."

There was a beat, and then Zeb's reply was furious yell and he only just resisted kicking the boys limp boots in frustration. "Ya stupid thick headed-"

"That's enough Zeb." Kanan cut in firmly. "Go get me a container and water. Lots of water."

Zeb vanished as he was told, and Sabine smoothed Ezra's hair of his clammy face.

"What do we do Kanan?" she asked, her voice was smaller then usual.

The Jedi didn't answer. He was inspecting Ezra's right limp hand, the streaking climbed up his arm and disappeared into the boys new gloves.  
Kanan made a note of the gloves. Practical or not, Ezra had clearly been using them as a cover. _This kid..._

The Jedi did his best to be gentle, but a slight tug on one finger sent the fainted boy into a squirm. Kanan gave up on being gentle and settled for being quick. He tore the glove off the boys hand in one smooth pull. Ezra cried out and twisted in Sabine's hands.

It was a gruesome sight. His hand was whole, but clearly poisoned with infection. The skin was patchy with bruises and his whole palm was a bright painful red. At the heel of the hand there was an open sore, not very large but swollen with pus and infection.

A slight smell wafted to their noses and Kanan remarked on the acidic tang to the smell of the wound.

"Sabine, hold him still."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, but braced her arms again the boys chest and shoulders. Zeb returned with the water and a bowl and held onto the boys legs.

"There's something in here." Kanan said, frowning deeply at the hand from all angles.

Kanan reached out into the force and felt for the light inside Ezra. It was clouded and writhing- but still bright. No- there was a pin prick of darkness. A spot of blackness on the surface. He was in doubt of himself.

Kanan focused and felt Ezra's signature twisting in on itself and something of his thoughts became readable. Kanan saw fire and darkness and something long and spidery binding him tight and squeezing-

Kanan focused on the dark spot, he pinched it and gave it a hard pull. It resisted at first, like a tree planted deep in the ground. It gave, but slowly, drawing out a long slow motion.

Sabine watched in growing fascination and horror as Kanan pulled a thin blacked chunk out of Ezra's hand. The boy cried and thrashed, but she held him firm as had Kanan asked. The smell in the room grew stronger.

_ It was a splinter_, she realized, watching it slowly slide out of the skin. _How..._  
She kept expecting it to end, but it kept coming. How had something that large wedged itself into his flesh?  
It began to thin out and then Sabine knew; it had _grown_ while buried in Ezra's hand. There was no other way. It had began to branch out in hair thin roots and climb up his arm-

She swallowed on the bile in her throat at the thought, the smell was heavy in her nose.

Kanan gave the root system a hard final tug and it came away clean, hovering in his force grip. It was the length of his arm at least.

Kanan opened his eyes and let it drop into the bowl Zeb had brought without glancing at it.  
Ezra was still thrashing but he placed a hand on the boys head and closed his eyes again.

_ Be calm. Be quiet. No pain._  
Kanan pushed at the images and thoughts of heat and darkness and replaced them with ones of light and cool breezes.

He felt Erza's awareness slowly resurfacing, but pushed it back down gently into the quiet.  
_ Rest and believe in the force_. He told him. And then withdrew from the boys mind.

Ezra was quiet and breathing evenly when he opened his eyes.

"Whatever you did in there; worked." Zeb told him gruffly.

Kanan didn't reply. He took the bowl and lifted the intruding splinter system out to inspect it properly.

"Its a splinter cell." Sabine frowned and took the water satchel Zeb offered, and tipped a little into the boys open mouth.

Kanan shook his head an frowned down at the boy. "It was working it way through his circulation system, like it was trying to take root."

Zeb looked aghast. "How long has it been in there?"

"It must've have been slowly poisoning him for days." Sabine said worriedly. "If we flood him with anti-vacs we might keep the poison from doing any more damage."

Kanan nodded, "Do it." And Sabine gently lowered Ezra's head and disappeared.

"When did he have time to go getting poisonous sticks shoved into him?" Zeb demanded, louder then he needed to. He wasn't a healer, so he was useless here. Zeb hated to feel useless.

"Where the first tie fighter crashed on Nyrue." Kanan replied slowly, knowledge dawning. "There was splinters everywhere. When he pushed me out of the way." Kanan replied, he stared down on his Padawan's resting face and felt a deep unease spread though him. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I should have made sure he was OK. I didn't even ask. I just _assumed_ because he seemed fine."

Zeb clapped a heavy hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "Its not yer job to mother him, just to teach him. And he does a damn fine job hiding his secrets when he wants to. He's too proud and too stupid to ask for help. So he hides it. This is not your fault."

"These will help." Sabine said, unpacking three syringes from a medpack and emptying them slowly one by one into Ezra's elbow. "He still needs proper attention." She said worriedly, looking to Kanan.

"And we'll get him to it" Kanan replied firmly. "Wherever we have to go."

* * *

**R&amp;R** for Good Karma


	4. Chapter 4

I wrote this before I saw the vision of hope. Now the ending I planed feels both wrong and still fits at the same time. Let me know what you lot think yeah?

**Growing Pains**

* * *

When Ezra woke, it was slow. He blinked in the bright light, fighting the urge to fall back into sleep. Something was off, he tried to focus through the soft ache in his head.

Why was his room so bright? His bed wasn't usually this soft.  
There was a smell of chemicals in the air- but not the usual explosive kinds he was used to smelling from Sabine's room across from his.

Awareness hit him like a blaster shot the back.  
He sat bolt right up and blinked hard in the whiteness of the room.

This was _not_ the Ghost.

Was it possible the Empire had found them? Where else could he possibly be?

The last thing he Knew was that he'd fallen asleep on his bunk -No he remembered a fire.  
Had the Empire attacked them? Had they taken him away in his sleep?  
He tried to not think how unbecoming the idea was, caught during a nap? Geeze.

he hoped he was the only one.

He looked down at his hands and was surprised to see his flight suit was gone and he'd been dresses in a blue jumpsuit. The light, unpadded, material felt alien on his skin.

His right arm was wrapped tight in bandages from his fingers all the way to his chest and there were several iv lines running into the crook of his elbow.

The bastards had fixed him up, dressed him and put him to bed like a child!  
Ezra knew the Empire employed some sick mind games in their efforts to conquer the galaxy; but this was wrong on another level.  
They were going to pay, once Ezra had escaped.

He eyed the IV lines first. There didn't seem to he any monitoring tech wired into them, so those came out first. He was surprised they came free without too much discomfort.  
He didn't want to know what might have been in them but he would have thought the Empire would have at least used a locking intravenous line or a monitor to alert them if they were removed or bound his arms to the bed. _Something_.

The room was bare except for a chair in the corner and a small table. The door no handle and a wide frosted window.

Ezra looked up and grinned to see a vent in the ceiling above his bed.

This was too easy.

Using one of the needles out his arm as a temporarily tool to unscrew the attachments. He removed the grate and pulled himself up. His arm ached but held his weight.

Ezra replaced the grate so it lay face down on the inside. It was likely no one would realize something was wrong unless they tried to get into the vents themselves.

He listened for air flow to orient himself. There were soft echos of habitation to the left. Ezra began to follow where the noise was loudest.

He needed to find Kanan and the crew. Maybe, if he was lucky, only he had been caught. He didn't understand how- but where else would be be? Maybe the Empire had done something to his head, to erase his capture.

He thought about his crew.  
Maybe they were still out free on the smiled to think of them bickering over the best way to rescue him.

He crawled through the maze of stainless steel for several minutes, taking a breather when his head began to pound and his arm ached.

There were soft voices drifting from the vent closest to him and he crawled closer

He peered into the dimly lit room. There was a Togruta female seated before a holojecter. She was scanning tech prints and making notes on a databook that Ezra couldn't see. Ezra wondered briefly if she was working with the Empire or here by force. Maybe they could escape together. She might have intel.  
There was a static crackle and she pulled out a communicator. There was a buzz and a series of beeps and whistles.

Her lips turned down.

"Acknowledged. Scan the station and I will Inform Apparition Beta"

She stood, switched off the holojecter and left the room.

Ezra frowned. Well she's no prisoner, he thought.

He continued on for a several minutes before a loud bang of metal on metal echoed up from behind him.  
Time to go, Ezra thought. He slipped down the next shaft and found the nearest exit point. He did a quick survelience through the pannels. It was an old engine room, full of parts and greasy pieces of old TIE fighters. He kicked the grate off and climbed into the dark room. As the grate hit the ground it made a loud clanging as it settled on the floor. Ezra was almost sure he heard someone call his name from back inside the vents.

Did the Imps really think he was that stupid?

He found a troopers helmet covered in char marks and a sizable slice across the face. He put it on and saluted the wall, laughing. He had too many of these things already.

He foraged for anything else useful and found most parts of a burnt out land speeder from several models ago.  
What was this place? The empires junkyard?

He separated the barrel and laser cannon with a broken wrench piece and ripped the triggering system out of the the speeder. The circuits were intact and it still carried a short charge. Ezra lifted it under his good arm and tested its aim. It was heavy, but if he swung with the cannon, he could get some decent mobility with this thing.

Now he was armed, it was time to escape.

He figured a hanger was likely near by with all this wreckage. A cargo bay or disposal dock at the very least.

The exit door opened with a little rewiring work and Ezra found himself in a dark hallway, clearly in the bowls of the ship.

He explored, tentatively rounding corners and moving in the opposite direction if he heard foot falls.

He came across an old mapping panel and had barley put a finger on the dark surface before it flared a bright red and the corridor lights began to flash on and off. A siren sounded on the floors above him.

Now its _really_ time to go, Ezra thought and began to run.

He reached the end of the corridor and turned right. Two guards stepped out in front. Ezra was momentarily thrown by the by the lack of uniform. One wore a blue Empire tunic but the other wore a set of unfamiliar armor in yellow. The guards looked just as surprised to see him. Ezra moved on instinct and the laser blazed to life. The guards leapt to the side on seeing the cannon light up. Ezra didn't waste the laser charge on them, and instead spun around and ran the other way.

He came out at intersection that was a newer section of ship, but still lit with red flashing lights. The wooping alarm was louder here, but he followed it up knowing it would probably lead him to an exit level.  
He considered taking to the vent system again but the laser cannon would be too bulky to fit and Ezra preferred to be with it then without it if it came to it.

He heard footsteps and spun around. At the end of the hall down his left was a group of six men, all dressed in unfamiliar armor, charging for him.

At the same moment, a disposal droid rolled past Ezra pulling a garbage trolly. Ezra wasted no time and zeroed in on the trolly. He drew down deep and gave it an almighty push with the force.

The charging men all came to a momentary halt, eyes all glued to the garbage barge that was sailing towards them and the poor droid that was sailing with it, making increasingly loud beeps of distress.

They all back pedaled as one and ran back the way they had come.  
Ezra didn't wait to see how his attack had gone down, and in stead fled down the path the droid had been intended on.

There's an exit close by, Ezra thought. I know there is.

His run was weighed down by the laser cannon but he pushed through, his gait awkward and struggling. His whole body burned now. His arms ached and his brain burned.

I have to get out. I have to find the others. _There is No Try..._

He couldn't believe his luck when a second garbage barge, this time unloaded, was wheeled into view.

He jumped, landing hard on his knees and crushing his hand under the cannon. But he didn't stop- instead he reached behind him and upped the anti-grav setting to max and then Pushed-

The cart flew down the hallway at a speed Ezra thought only land speeders could reach and he laughed. Why had he never tried this before?  
A high pitched pinging caught his attention to the poor droid clinging to the arm of the trolly.

"Sorry guy." Ezra grinned, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "Don't worry, this wont hurt a bit." And then he detached the droids claw grips. The body of it immediately went flying backwards and Ezra was sure he saw it shake a recently freed claw at him as he sailed away.  
He gave the trolly another boost along the flashing red hallway.

He saw two more groups of armored men in a glance before he had already sailed past. It confused him why none of these guards wore trooper suits, but he didn't have time for details.

His mind rippled and Ezra found his feet and jumped.

He left the cart a whole four seconds before to crashed into a stack of crates, two of which exploded.

The world shook and he landed rough on his knees and rolled through the momentum and back onto his feet. He pushed off the cannon and made a mad dash for the shelter of a second crate stack just in time to avoid being blasted.

The guards pelted the area with blaster fire. Most of it blue shocks intended to stun. Ezra smiled darkly. So they wanted to take him alive huh?

He risked a glance over the top and surveyed the space he had cornered himself in.

There were about 30, all on the other side of the hanger.

_Hanger!_ Ezra scanned the open space on his right and beamed at the sight.

A TIE fighter. This one shiney and new. Yet not entirely right somehow. The rounded window face wasn't transparent and it lacked the empires seal.

Was this an testing base for new Empire technology?

Ezra knew the distance between his crates and the Tie was too long for a dash. He would most likely be shot in trying to reach it. And who said it would work when he got there?  
But he had to do it.

He double checked the guards, still firing on everything they could see. At least 12 of them stood on a walk way that ran the length of the wall and two of them had mounted blaster's that were slowly decimating Ezra's shields with bolt after bolt.

Ezra's eyes followed the support rails that were bolted into the wall above and smiled.

He threw his cannon piece on top of the crate over his shoulder and fired up the circuits.

"I think you should all know," he shouted as loudly as he could over the blaster fire. "Your all about to appreciate the Empire Health care system. "

And he fired four straight shots at the wall supports.

At first nothing happened, and Ezra ducked to avoid having his face blasted. And then he heard the wire walkway groaning. Ezra adjusted the aim of the cannon into the front line, and jammed the trigger with a chunk of broken crate.  
"Thanks for the cover fire." He said, barley patting the laser before leaping to his feet.

As he pulled up, there was an all mighty _twang_ of broken metal followed by the crunch and rumble of fallen support beams. Ezra didn't turn to look. The amount of blaster shots aimed for his feet immediately cut in half but that wasn't enough. He ran. Pushing the force into his feet.

There was shouting and words. He thought he heard his name. But there wasn't time to listen.  
The blaster fire thinned out as he ran.

He had to reach the TIEfighter. He had to make it work. He had to find his family-

A cannon blast barreled into his chest. It threw him flat, diagonally further away from his target.

_I'm hit. I'm dead._ Ezra thought. _I'm so sorry I failed you guys..._

No, he wasn't shot. Someone had taken him down, holding him. There were hands on his shoulders trying to turn him. Trying to remove his helmet.

Every inch of Ezra stung or ached or pounded. But he squirmed, and made this task as difficult as he could for the bastards holding him on the floor.

"By the force- Will you be _still_?! Calm- _calm _down Ezra!"

And he was.

He froze for a minute, then fumbling, did his best to rip the helmet off. He threw it aside and bent to look at the weight holding him down.

"Kanan?"

"Who else?!" Kanan demanded angrily. "What the heck were you doing?"

Ezra blinked. "Escaping." he said blankly, "From the Empire?"

Kanan shook his head and his expression evolved though a mixture of silent rage and bewilderment and finally settled on stern. "Ezra, This is not an Empire ship."

Ezra made his own face in confusion. "But-"

Then his Master's face changed, and he _smiled._  
"This, Ezra," he spoke firmly and with relief clear in his voice. "_This_ is starship central of the _Rebel Alliance_."

There was a beat, and in the background Ezra hear a man start swearing in a string of Tatooine curses. Another voice joined him in Rodain.  
The Rebel Alliance?

"But that's us." Ezra countered dumbly. "_We're_ the Rebels."

Kanan snorted and grinned, "Yes, we are." he said in a breathless tone. There was a brightness in his eyes Ezra had not seen before. Kanan finally moved his weight off Ezra's leg now that he was no longer fleeing and the boy struggled to sit up. His Master indicated the rest of the hanger.  
"And so are they."

Ezra turned, awkwardly and wincing in pain as the adrenaline began to drain out of him. His brain wasn't making any sense of this. Kanan wasn't making any sense at all.

Across the hanger he could see armored men climbing out of rubble or pulling others out. One man was clutching his arm which was hanging at an unnatural angle- but it looked like that was the worst of anyone's injures.

Now that Ezra was not shooting through their hanger, wearing a troopers helmet, he realized, they paid he and Kanan no attention. They were more focused on pulling their comrades to their feet.

The excitement was starting to wear off and his heart rate began to slow down as his mind tried to put the pieces together. Now that he had Kanan here, who seemed to feel safe, and was now giving him a worried but relieved look as he surveyed the scene, something began to clear up. The need to move slowly left him and he saw what was around him for the first time.

This was not the Empire's hanger.

He didn't know how to put it, it was too hard to place. Maybe it was just the lighting or the colour scheme that extended beyond white and grey to occasional dashes of red and orange. Now that he knew it; it was so obvious now.

He'd blown a hole in the wall of a Rebel Alliance hanger and had a blaster fight with the guards... _HuttSpit._

"Oh." He said out loud, in a speechless sort of tone. "I guess that makes more sense." He added dumbly.

And then Ezra fainted.

* * *

**spoilers for Episode 12 ahead:**  
I just saw Vision of hope. It had never occurred to me the ghost crew were the only rebels around yet. I always thought there was still more happening off screen, small time rebels but still, around. I think fulcrum is going to slowly draw them into the folds of the Alliance.  
There's clearly more to Ezra's parent's and I don't buy that their dead. Gone, missing, imprisoned, exiled- but not dead. And i play on that a little in the next chap.

Having the ghost crew find out their is More to the rebel alliance then just them and a few stragglers- that they actually might have a chance one day now- I like that; so I left the story as it was. Tell me if you disagree- if you think the Ghost crew are ground zero of the Alliance or if you think that they will be instrumental in a movement of many.

I feel like there will be a scene like this sometime in future episodes where they do stumble across the larger picture of their rebellion and everyone will be in awe.  
And yes I subscribe to the Ahsoak/Fulcrum rebellion leader theory. I haven't seen clone wars yet, I only know what I've read of her, so if something about her is off, let me shes not the focus here, just a clue that there is a bigger picture.

Only one more chapter to finish now. I changed a lot after the rebellion reveal but I know how and where I want the last chapter to go.  
Tell me what are some things you would like to see in the end? Thanks for all the support guys! I'll do my best not to let you down.

**R&amp;R for good karma.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hi all. Here's the last chapter. This is probably the one I'm least happy with, hence the wait. But its finished and that's what matters. This was orginially one very long oneshot, so I separated and expanded the chapters. I'm sorry the ending in not all wrapped up- this was intended as a series of events that happen to the ghost crew and once the situation was done- so was the story.

Let me know what you think. Do you want to see more Rebel stuff I'm working on?  
I just wanted to say a big Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed all the past chapters and this one. It means a lot to have your support and I value your criticism. Thanks Everyone! 

**Growing Pains**

* * *

Several hours later, back in the medical wings of the star ship, Ezra awaited a second examination.

When Ezra had awoken- this time with Kanan by his side- he had opened his mouth to start funneling the questions that were firing off in his mind, just as the Jedi cut him off.

"Before you ask any questions. I can't tell you anything else about the Alliance _for now_. I won't answer questions you give me."

He closed his mouth and scowled. And then, probably only because he was still very tired, he let it go.

Kanan couldn't give him answers- for now. So Ezra hadn't asked any questions.  
There was enough crowding in his mind right now anyway. He just needed to process some stuff first.

Once he his brain had reformed from the mush it was now, then he would harass Kanan with demands until his hair was white.

So instead Ezra endured silence in an effort to refocus his thoughts.

During his adventures through the ventilation systems, a wreckage bay and a blaster brawl in the lower hangers- his nice clean medsuit had been pushed to its limitations. It was now ruined with dust, oil, char stains and a little bit of blood.

A human woman in a white tunic had come and bullied Ezra into a changing suite and removed all his bandages, which were in only slightly better condition then the suit. She told Kanan he had to wait outside.

"And that went so well first time." The Jedi muttered as he passed into the hallway.

Ezra was almost too exhausted, body and mind, to argue the rough treatment from the woman, but he made her job as difficult as he could when it came to herding him into shower station.

As soon he was in the stall and the screen had closed behind her, Ezra had relaxed into the hot steam; letting it clean and warm his sore muscles and evaporate his thoughts.

When he was allowed to dress, he was surprised they had returned his orange flight suit- cleaner then he'd seen it in months, possibly years. He was quick to check all the pockets; including the ones secreted into the linings. His heart rate decreased when he located the old holodisk Sabine had recused from his parents house hidden in the inner pouch of his sleeve.  
None of his other small items had gone missing, a collection of screws, a pindrive, a small multitool, and a bent wire lockpick for the old unwired kind of door.

His paranoia was more out of habit then suspicion- but it made a show to the nurse that he didn't trust her or anyone who might have rummaged through his things.  
She didn't seem to care and had set about replacing his bandages with bemused expression.

Ezra was surprised how much better his arm was.

The blue and red steaks had run up his arm to his collar bone were faded and his arm as whole was a healthier colour. The bruises were still prominent, but there was no longer an angry red tone to his palm. There was still lots of swelling, his wrist was still twice the size, but the smell and infection looked clean gone.

Ezra was surprised he hadn't realized just how much better he'd been when he woke the first time now.

It was like waking up from a long and vivid fever dream. A bucket of sobriety and health being throw over his head.

Kanan told him they may've admitted to dumping a little too much adrenaline into his system on his arrival, in a effort to help his heart recirculate the antivacs and saline to counteract the effects of the poison. And all that extra adrenaline had possibly lead to the miraculous almost-escape he had pulled.

It was all so obvious-_now_. The past three days were a steadily steepward blur of fever dreams and orange lights.

He remembered in the patchy haze he'd been fiddling with the electrical systems- and maybe once accidentally giving himself a zap with a carelessly covered wire.

He was pretty sure he wouldn't tell anyone that once he got back to the Crew.

It was just a little poisoning spell, no big deal.

He was hoping Kanan would be able to keep the details of his first meeting with the Rebel Alliance had gone to himself.

He smiled a little, rolling the words around in his head.

The rebel alliance...  
It sounded so righteous.

Kanan returned now that Ezra was dressed and waited quietly in a chair by the wall. Ezra complained his bandages were too tight but was immediately silenced by a side long look from Master.

Finally the nurse gave directions that Ezra was to lay down and wait for his final examination, and _not to move. _And then they both could go. The Ghost was waiting not far out for orders to dock and pick them up.

Ezra got the distinct feeling they were trying to rush he and Kanan out the door as soon as possible now. Maybe because he was awake now and possibly because he'd wreaked so much damage in their hanger.

"So." Kanan began in a building tone. "When would you like me to give you your lecture?"

"How about at my eulogy?" Ezra suggested.

The look Kanan gave him was gutting and Ezra immediately looked away, feeling properly admonished. "Look- Im sorry I caused all this trouble. I really didn't think-"

"No. You didn't. This is a recurring theme with you, isn't it."

"It was Just a splinter. Give me a break. How was I supposed to know it was worse than spicing?"

Kanans face twisted. "When have you tried spice?!" He demanded loudly.

"On the streets they'll pay you-"

Kanan put out one hand to silence his student and rubbed his eyes violently with the other. "_Nevermind_. That in an argument for _another_ day. But don't do it again!"

"No frak. I could have told you that." Ezra spat angrily.

They fell silence for several minutes and Ezra felt guilt eating away at his stomach. It was his fault they were here. Kanan had sought him the help he needed and kept him alive. Kanan had been there to help him even when Ezra had done his very best to avoid it. He'd made it worse for himself and put the crew through something awful. And now he had redecorated a hanger bay of their only compatriots and snapped at his Master.

Some Padawan he was.

Ezra licked his dry lips and sighed heavily.

"Kanan- I know I messed up." He paused, waiting for his master to agree. But Kanan just waited quietly for him to continue.

"I just _really_ didn't think I needed to tell you about a _splinter._ I mean, Zeb would have made fun me or you'd think I was being stupid. I've been taking care of myself forever- I thought- I thought did everything right. Then stuff kinda started to snowball and by the time I sorta realized things were bad I just- I dunno, it just got harder to try and talk about it and I wasn't really thinking all that clearly."

He slumped against the metal tray and lifted his head long enough to drop it heavily back down with a thud. It hurt but only for a second.

"I ruined everything for us, haven't I."

Kanan let out a hard annoyed breath, but it sounded like it was directed at himself.

"No- you you've ruined nothing. I am- we are all, just relieved you are Ok."

Ezra smiled, just a little, as they felt moment for reprimands past.  
At least until he met with Hera. The boy snorted a breath of air through his nose. "Ok' is a relative term."

Kanan shrugged, his tone brightening."Hey- at least no ones dead."

Ezra turned to his master and gave him a dry look.

"Yes- and perhaps they wont even notice the hanger wall."

Kanan nodded his head from side to side, weighing up the likelihood in his head.  
"Maybe."

"You're going to tell everyone aren't you."

"Kid- wouldn't you?"

Ezra huffed. "Yes." He folded his arms- then unfolded them, remembering he wasn't supposed to move. Then he decided, he would move all he damn liked, and re-folded him arms across his chest with a huff. "At least I almost escaped. That's less embarrassing then _Not _escaping."

Kanan nodded along in agreement.

"True, but escaping from somewhere that wasn't trying to keep you in the first place doesn't sound much better."-

"Please don't tell Hera."

Kanan smiled wryly. "She already knows, kid."

"Then please don't tell Sabine."

"After seeing you hurl on your own boots- I think she'd appreciate a good joke."

Ezra looked aghast. "I hurled on my boots in front of Sabine?

"In front of us all actually." Kanan nodded thoughtfully while Ezra buried his face in his bandaged hands and groaned.  
"This is the most embarrassing day of my life."

"Wait until Hera gets her hands on you. Shes not happy."

"About which part?"

"All of it."  
Ezra swallowed down the groan that built in his chest.

The medbay doors opened and a Rodian in a similar tunic to the woman entered holding a data pad close to his chest.

"Hello Patients. I am informed your names are Spectre 1 and Spectre 6. I am medic 34."

"Um, Hey." Ezra said waving his limp hand awkwardly.

The Rodain was instantly at his side and gently, but firmly, laying his arm back down on the table. "Please refraim from moving until my examination is complete Patient Spectre 6."

Ezra shot Kanan a pained look but his master only inclined his head slightly in a silent order to do as he was told.

The Rodian, Medic 34, pushed a machine forward to the end of Ezra's bed.

"Uh- what is that gonna do?" Ezra demanded, doing his best to see down his nose without lifting his head.

"This machine will give me an internalscopic view of your body so I may monitor your vitals."  
There was a click, and the machine began to humm. A long silver arm began to extend over Ezra with a mechanical whir.

"Inter scopic view-? Is this going to hurt?" Ezra demanded, lifting his head to see what was happening at the end of his bed- but he was quickly pushed back down by a firm hand on his chest.

"_Please _be still, Patient Spectre 6." the Rodain chided and tapped commands into his Data pad with his free hand. "I assure your this process is as painless as thermoscan, but you must be _very still_."

"A thermoscan!? Well how painless is that supposed to be?"

The Rodain gave him a funny look that suggested maybe Ezra had said something silly and began placing sticky electrodes with long wires on his temples and chest.

Ezra felt his heart rate spike again, and a machine on his left began to ping at a surprisingly fast rate. He didn't like medics. Ezra closed his eyes, trying to focus his thought and calm his nerves. His breathing was erratic and he couldn't find a rhythm.

"_Please _calm down, Patient Specter 6. You are elevating your heart rate."

He heard the machine whirring again and his imagine began to fill in what might be happening. The machine next to his head was pinging in time with his pounding headache. He started clenching and unclenching his fists in an effort to take the strain of keeping still off his mind.

This was stupid. Ezra was his own doctor, and he'd managed just fine without any of these monstrosities. He was fine now- why couldn't they just leave him _alone_?

There was a hand on his and he jumped. He opened his eyes in surprise and saw Kanan had moved his chair closer to the table.  
"Calm down, Ezra." he told him firmly and took his seat.

"I- I am calm." he snapped.

Kanan just frowned at him, the hand on his tighten for a moment.

Ezra took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. The machine was still making worrying noises and now it sounded like an internal engine was warming up.

He focused on the hand on his and tried to pretend he wasn't squeezing back.

"It's just weird." He heard himself say, almost stumbling on the words. "Like, I was unconscious before. I just don't like medics- " His ankles twitched and he wriggled his toes to help with the tremble in his thigh.

"Don't be afraid. " Kanan told him in a gentle but firm tone.

"I'm not." He answered quickly, then he added in a softer tone, "I just... last time I went to a medic was with my mom." there was a beat of silence as Ezra's mouth twisted in an sour smile.  
"They said it wouldn't hurt and _then_ they stuck me full of needles."

He heard Kanan laugh and the sound drew some of the tension out of his bones.

"Well I promise there's no needles this time."

"Alright Patient Spectre 6, your introscopic view is complete, you may move again but please refrain from sitting up."

Ezra opened his eyes and immediately relaxed in surprise.

He gaped at the blue holojecter that formed a foot above him. It took him a second to realized it was a map of a human body. Then another second to realize it was a map of _his _body.

Before Ezra could study the back of his own head- or realize the map had been quite naked- the human shape suddenly shed the layer of skin, and then muscle. And then the skeleton. Until all that ws left was the circulatory system and the brain contained in a vague Ezra-like outline.

The boy stared at the shape of his own brain and nerve system exposed before his eyes.

"Your vitals are reading at regular levels, Patient Specter 6." The Rodain said sounding pleased. "Your hemoglobin and red blood cell count is back on the rise to a healthy human level.

"Uh, Thanks." Ezra said, feeling like he had to say something. "What are those?"

The Medic gave him another quizzical look. "You were suffering from severe iron deficiency and fluctuating levels of oxygenated blood when you were admitted to our medbay. Alongside the toxicity readings, your cranial functions were severely restricted. Are you still experiencing lowered thought processing?"

Ezra just looked to Kanan for help. His master was clearly struggling not to smile.

"No, Specter 6's cranial functions seem to be working at full capacity, Medic 34. He's just unfamiliar with medic terms. Could you dumb it down for us a little. I'd like to know the full story as well."

The Rodain hummed and tapped on his datapad, and the heel of the right hand on the body map began to pulsate a red light. "Our scans indicate the point of entry and infection spread from this point here. Any other foreign body may have simply exited the host or been absorbed over time. But this particular foreign body was a piece of a Nyruan tree system."

Medic 34 tapped another point of his data pad and the map of Ezra was replaced by a holojection of a tree with a large complicated root system. As he watched, the roots formed two more trees along side the first and continued to spread.

"The Nyruan tree system is a fascinating flora system. It utilized a hydroponic grow bed to form large islands of root system."

"Uh- and that means?" Ezra asked.

"It lives in water. Not soil." Kanan told him.

"Correct Specter 1." Medic 34 said, "This particular flora fascinating as it is known for growing in hot waterways rich in iron. Unfortunately that is also why it flourished so well once it had entered the patients circulatory system. Here it found an environment similar to its own. It spread through the circulatory system and managed to reach the main arteries before removal- quiet remarkable survival adaptation I might say!"

"Wait- it was _growing_ in my arm?" Ezra demanded. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was an image of a long thin hand reaching out towards him. He shuddered and pushed it away.

"In addition to the releasing toxins to better ferment its water supply- which was your circulatory system, it was consuming the oxygen rich blood cells while your body continued to waste its effects in attacking the infection."

Ezra looked down on his arm like he didn't want to be attached to it anymore, and both relieved that it still was.

"Why didn't I feel it?"

"One of the toxic properties of the enzymes released worked as something as a numbing agent. The hallucinogenic symptoms would have caused some difficulties in observational thinking."

"But- its all gone now right?"

Medic 34 nodded thoughtfully and erased the holojection image. "All traces of foreign bodies and toxicity have been removed and treated. I am informed, we were only able to build an anti-vaccine as treatment due to several samples your own team had supplied us with."

Both Kanan and Ezra were surprised to hear this. To know their hard work and risk taking was not simply funneled into a fruitless system. Here were some actual results.

Before Ezra could ask any more questions, there was a series of beeps at the door and the hatch pulled up.  
Two guards in the same armor as the ones Ezra had encountered before, and armed with a high grade blaster each stood in the door.

"We have come under orders to escort the patient and guardian to the exit hanger. Is the patient ready for travel?" said one.

The Rodian nodded and shut off the projector. "The Patient has a clean bill of health. You may escort them now."

Ezra was hurried off the examination and Kanan out of his seat.

"Guess we're on our way then." Kanan turned to the medic. "Thank you sir. For you and your teams hard work."

For the first time since he entered the Rodian put down his datapad, and then gave a very slight bow of his head.

"No Spectre 1, I was very glad to be of service. It is our team that thanks you and yours for your efforts in this war."

Kanan looked surprised but nodded his head in gratitude before the Guards stepped behind him and herded them both out into the hallway.

Ezra clenched and unclenched his bandaged fist, feeling uneasy about what he'd learned. He shook out his hand to dislodge the prickles in his skin. He decided not to think how a stupid tree had been using him as fertilizer or how close it had come to succeeding.

"Well that was eye opening."

"You've never had a holoscan before then." Kanan asked as the guards lead them down the hallways.

"No. I really need to workout more. I didn't realize how weedy I looked."

Kanan closed his eyes and shook his head, but Ezra saw a hint of a smile.

Ezra turned his attention of the guards.

"So, you guys got names?"

"No." said one shortly.

The other said. "We have orders to escort you. In silence."

they reached an elevator, that opened the moment they steeped in front. Kanan and Ezra were pushed inside and the first guard selected the keys in the wall.

The walls hummed as they began to descend.

Ezra looked down at his hands and wiggled his fingers. "So, your ventilation systems are way to easy to navigate." he said, starting slow. "You should talk to someone about the security of the disposal levels, I was down there for like four minutes just ripping stuff up."

"It only took you four minutes to assemble a portable cannon?" the second guard asked in a impressed tone. His buddy knocked the butt of his blaster into his side.

"No talking!" he snapped.

"You might wanna find the droid who's arms I dismantled too." Ezra continued conversationally.

Kanan cocked a brow. "His arms?"

"He wouldn't let go of the garbage cart and he was weighing me down!" Ezra said with a shrug.  
The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors pulled apart.

This hanger was larger then the first, and it dwarfed the Phantom that sat waiting patiently on the landing dock. Ezra was surprised to see that there was no one else around.

"There's also probably some grates that need replacing. Ideally with blind head bolt this time." Ezra said, stepping off the elevator.

The first guard gave him a hard look down his nose. "You sure did a lot of internal damage for someone who's just allowed to fly away while we clean up your mess."

Ezar looked abashed and ran a hand through his hair in distraction. "Yeah- Im sorry about that. I guess I overreacted?" Kanan snorted.

The second guard knocked the other with his elbow. "Don't worry about it kid. I think we're all just glad you're on our side."

Ezra opened his mouth to answer but Kanan jerked on his arm and began to walk towards the ship.  
"Our welcome is over stayed, Ezra." he said in a cautions tone.

"You better get going kid." the guard said with a nod in Kanans direction. "I don't you wanna try your luck on the boss's nerves again. I don't think you'd last a third round."

"Do you mean Fulcrum?" Ezra asked in an extremely casual tone. Since he was here and all...

The guard looked surprised, but not angry, and he might have replied if Kanan had not put a hand on Ezra's shoulder and forcibly turned him around and started to march him away.

Ezra made an effort to turn and salute the two guards who were watching now with amused looks on their faces.

"Keep up the good fight, guys!" Ezra shouted as Kanan bullied him up the phantoms ramp and dumped him into a seat. The hatch closed up behind them and the Phantom fired up and began to ascend.

The first guard nudged his partner with a huff, partly annoyed and partly amused.  
"some kid."he said in a gruff tone.

"yeah" said the second guard, watching the small aircraft maneuver through the airlock and out into the stars. "Some kid."

* * *

Hera was piloting the Phantom. As soon as the phantom was set on course back to the Ghost, she stood up and pushed Kanan into her seat.

"you drive." she told him and then fixed her green eyes on Ezra. Hands on hips and her face pulled into the most admonishing glare he'd ever seen on her face.

Ezra immediately felt smaller then a tooka in front of a bantha.

His bandaged hand found its way into his hair which he fussed with out of habit and panic.  
"Look, Hera- I'm real sorry-"

He got no further, as the twi'let wrapped him up in her arms and pulled him in close.

He struggled out of surprise for just a moment, before the warmth crept in and he relaxed his hands on her arms.

No one had hugged Ezra like this for a long time, and he was surprised that he hadn't realized. It was... nice. And now he felt sillier then ever before...

"I'm still in trouble, aren't I."

"You don't even know the meaning of the word yet." She told him, in a tone that was happy and full of promises.

"Can we go home now?"

"Yes. But first," she pulled back and gave him a serious face. "Lets have a little talk."

* * *

They talked for about an hour, which was just long enough to tire Ezra out with questions and information before he fell asleep in the the back. Kanan and Hera refrained from continuing the discussion without their audience and rode out the trip in thoughtful silence.

They had come to agree on several terms. As long as Ezra would not discuss anything he had witnessed on board the star ship, they would not neglect the rest of the ghost crew and keep them 'in the dark' as Kanan put it.

"Sabine will be pissed." Ezra pointed out.

"Sabine has been told as much as you have. As has Zeb. You are all just as informed as each other."

"What about chopper?"

"Chopper has higher clearance then you." Kanan answered firmly.

Ezra made to protest, but thought better of it in his situation. "So if I _don't_ ask any more questions, You'll let us in on the deal with the Alliance?"

"we're not cutting deals." Kanan said, tone firm. "We are graciously giving your options. If you all make an encouraged effort not to discuss it any further- you may happen to learn more. Is that clear?"

Ezra was quiet for some time, regarding them both with a thoughtful look. Then he nodded. "Ok. Whatever you guys say. I trust you."

And they left it at that.

They woke him when they docked and were greeted with Chopper standing in the hatchway. The astromech reached his mechanical arms up into the air and 'woop'd in greeting, before putting his electro prod against Ezra's knee and firing up.

Ezra cried out in shock and pain and hit the floor clucthing his leg. "You rolling scrap heap!" he cried. Chopper made an infuriating series of beeps in the tone of someone talking down to a child.  
"I'll strip you to the wires!" Ezra snapped, struggling up and finding himself suspended in the air.

Zeb lifted him by the back of his jumpsuit and turned him around till they were eye to eye.

"You deserve worse then that, bolt head."

"And you deserve a clean-out crew on your mouth! Put me down stinkman!"

"Why did we get him fixed again?" Zeb demanded of Kanan and Hera, holding the boy out like he was an offending lothpup.

"Because they need someone around here to do some work!" Ezra answered for them.

"If that was the case, we wouldn't pick you." Kanan said, rubbing his face, like a migraine had suddenly returned.

"Hey!"

"A Neimoidian is more productive then you two put together." Sabine said, leaning in the door frame and folding her arms.

Zeb dropped Ezra with a huff and he landed with an outraged yell.

"You know it Was quieter around here when you were out." She told him.

"So you noticed I was gone, eh?" he wagged an eyebrow from his position on the floor. "Did you miss me?"

Her face immediately fell flat.  
"No."

Ezra grinned.

"Sabine, Zeb- why don't you show Ezra the extensive repair regime we put together for him?" Hera asked.

"Wait- a repair regime?" Ezra sat up. That wasn't good.

"Yes, Since you've put so much focus into the ships condition lately, we thought it might help if we made you a list of suggested improvements."

"And when you say _suggested_ you mean-"

"Here's your new chore list." Sabine said happily and tossed a datastrip on Ezra's chest. "I hope you like cleaning dust vents and satiation duty." her smile was smug and zeb snorted into his chest with a satisfied look on his face. Chopper spun his head and buzzed with amusement.

Ezra began to read the list and blinked. "This- this is all _your_ chores. For a month! I can't get all this done on my own!" He looked at Kanan. "How am I supposed to get an training done if they have me cleaning grates and stripping wires till I'm grey?"

Kanan shrugged, "Perhaps this will teach you to channel your thoughts and feelings in a conductive manner. Instead of hiding next time."

Ezra gaped at him, "I- I wasn't hiding-" he switched up his argument, sensing he was heading into a trap. "I thought you were supposed to take it easy on the sick and injured!"

"Well you're neither of those now. So you better get to work."

Kanan then turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Sabine, Zeb and Chopper to have their turns at chiding Ezra. After all, they had gotten a scare just as much as he had. It was only fair they have a turn to punish him too.

Hera gave him a gentle tug on his arm and pulled him towards the cockpit.

"Kanan, you need to listen to something." Hera said on a low tone and with a furtive glance into the hall where they could still hear the kids loudly arguing over the new chore list. She pulled a catch on the wall and closed the cockpit door.

Kanan raised an eyebrow and gave a low whistle. "That serious huh?"  
The cockpit was never closed off.

Hera shot him a look that told him he needed to be practical, and then it changed into something, worried.

"I'm... I'm not really sure yet."

She typed some commands into the communication panels. "When Ezra... got sick," she said tactfully, "I commed fulcrum when I couldn't reach a med station on Lothal."

"I wondered why you'd set us that way," Kanan sank into his seat. "I thought Fulcrum was set on mission only contact. Ours is our problem and all that."

"And that _was_ the case." Hera agreed, "Until now apparently. " she pushed a key on the commpad, which hummed to life.

The cockpit filled with a static crackle and then Hera's voice came through, a little distorted through the recording. She quickly dimmed the volume and Kanan took a step closer to listen.

"Hello? This is Specter 2, Pilot of the Ghost."

A warped a static voice Kanan knew well, responded.  
"Specter 2 of Ghost, this is Fulcrum. Go ahead."

"Fulcrum, please- I know this is not usual. I can't reach a medbay on Lothal. We need Urgent medic attention-"

"I cannot afford be involved in remedial matters, Specter 2. You need to seek out medical attention on world-"

"We might not make it on world in time. Please Fucrum, I understand- you know I do- but I wouldn't ask if this wasn't an emergency. Ezra needs medical attention-"

"Bridger?"

"What? Yes. He-"

The connection suddenly hissed with static, a sound that happened when a transmission was cut off or dropped.

"Fulcrum?" Hera's voice broke in desperately.

There was a cold long moment of silence. Then more electrical interference.

"Ghost, come in Specter 2. This is Fulcrum."

"Yes- Specter 2 here." Hera's voice was frantic.

"Specter 2, please confirm the necessary medical attention for one Bridger, Ezra, on board the Ghost."

"Y-yes. Please Fulcrum, he-"

"We are sending hyper drive coordinates to your vessel. Please proceed to the destination with speed."

There was a beat of silence.

"Specter 2, please confirm-"

"R-roger that Fulcrum. Coordinates received- on our way."

"The medbay will be ready to receive Specters 1 and 6 only, on arrival. You will be contacted when pick up will be authorized."

Kanan could here the hyperspace coordinates being imputed through the playback, and the engines fired up in the distance.

"_Thank_you Fulcrum."

"Fly safe Specter 2."

The console hummed and then cut as the recording completed.

Kanan blinked, processing this new information, and what had, or rather had _not _been said.  
Then he frowned.

"They said _Bridger_," he breathed. Hera nodded with a sour frown.

"I've never received such clear co-ordinates. I barely had time to think about it until you'd already left. I was just so focused on getting there in time, I didn't even think what it meant." She took her seat at the helm, but did not reach to disengage auto pilot. Instead she put a foot up on her seat and lent an elbow on her knee, staring out thoughtfully into the black.

"Could it just be they have high regard for his parents?" She asked in an distant voice. "I mean- their work was instrumental to the rebellion's roots. Fulcrum has been investigating but I haven't been informed of any findings."

She frowned at this, now realizing her lack of information did not assure the fact that no information had been found.

Kanan ran a hand through his hair and then shook his head. "Ugh- this is so frustrating. I mean- We _knew_ there was an established Alliance; its what we've been working for all these years! It why we fly from rock to rock dodging firefights- But finnaly seeing it in person- it was is _more_ then I could have dreamed of, Hera. You would have been so proud to see how far its come-" he broke of and swallowed hevaily. "But now here we are stuck in the dark? What do they know Hera?"

He threw himself angrily into the passenger seat and folded his arms, staring hard out into the endless dark.

"What does this mean?" Kanan breathed.

Hera put a hand out shoulder and squeezed. The echos of a colorful argument in the common quarters could be heard faintly in the background.

"I don't know, Love. I don't know."

* * *

Fin

R&amp;R for Good Karma  
Thanks again for your support everyone!


End file.
